Concern grows for tsunami relief workers

[scott.voigt]

Concern grows for tsunami relief workers
Past rebel-government clashes spark concerns; deaths pass 150,000


This U.S. military helicopter had to make a hard landing Monday in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, turning over on its side and injuring the 10 crew members who were on a relief mission.

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia - Indonesia’s military asked aid groups in tsunami-stricken areas Monday to draw up a list of international relief workers — and to report on their movements — as fears arose for the safety of foreigners helping survivors in a region wracked by rebellion long before the waves hit.

The request underlined the unease with which Indonesia has faced the growth of the biggest aid operation in history, replete with foreign soldiers and civilian humanitarian workers.

Indonesian authorities have long been wary of foreigners’ presence in the tsunami-stricken Aceh province, where separatists have been fighting government troops for more than 20 years. Foreigners were banned from the province at the northern tip of Sumatra island until the earthquake hit Dec. 26, touching off the tsunami.

Although the government has portrayed the rebels as ruthless killers willing to attack aid convoys and use refugee camps as hideouts, the military has yet to offer evidence to back its claims. Clashes between Indonesian troops and separatists have subsided since the disaster.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6754820/